Overwhelmed by Mess - where to start?

It’s easy to blur the lines between organising, tidying, and cleaning when you’re overwhelmed. But breaking them down into clear steps makes the process far less daunting. Each serves its own purpose, and tackling them systematically can make all the difference.

✅ Start small – Pick one area and ask yourself: is this space functioning in the best way for me? Don’t try to tackle everything at once—one step at a time is the way forward.

🗂 Declutter first – Before organising, take a moment to assess what you truly need. Let go of items that no longer serve a purpose. Tip: Use the "one in, one out" rule—if you bring something new in, remove something old to maintain balance.

📌 Organise – Group things logically and find a place where they’ll work for you. This might mean relocating items to a different spot—or even a different room—to make them more efficient. Tip: Store frequently used items within easy reach to save time and effort.

🧹 Tidy up – Now that you know where things belong, putting them away becomes easier and quicker. Tip: Try the “reset rule” before bed—spend five minutes returning things to their rightful place to wake up to a calmer space.

✨ Clean – This step is totally different from the above but often gets mistaken for them. Cleaning is about removing dirt, dust, and grime. Tip: Wipe surfaces regularly before dust settles—it takes seconds but makes a big difference.

Once organising and tidying are tackled, cleaning feels less like a chore. And when you organise things in a way that works for everyone using the space (think playrooms!), it’s easier for everyone to tidy and even clean too—with a little encouragement!